UNESCO Bestows Honor to Belgian Beer

On Wednesday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization added Belgian beer to its list of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity." Belgium is known throughout the world for its wide array of beer and its history of brewing stretches back centuries. Following the announcement, Belgian's culture minister Sven Gatz compared the recognition to winning the World Cup. UNESCO itself said in a statement that the recognition was about more than just drinking, adding, "Beer is also used by communities for cooking, producing products like beer-washed cheese, and being paired with food."